Railway signaling system and relay adapted for use therein.



1,3 HOLMDAY. RMLWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND RELAY ADAPTED FOR USE HEREIN,

APPLICATION FILED IUHE ZZ. I915.

Patentfl Jan. 22 1918.

a 1 emwEN-ron WITNEEE$E$ .a-z @M I. S. HOLLIDAY.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND RELAY ADAPTED FOR LIsE-"IIIEIIEIII.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1916.

1,254,189. PIIIenIeIL 5m. 22, 1915;

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fl II 5. m "a Ma gi so In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 I is a view, partly perspective and partly dia- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. HOLLIDAY, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO'THE UNION SWITCH 85 SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORLTION 0F PENNSYI'JVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND RELAY ADAPTED FOR USE THEREIN.

Specification of Letter! Patent.

Patented Jan. 22,1918.

Application filed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. HOLLIDAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vvilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Systems and Relays Adapted for Use Therein, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway signaling, and to relays for use in connection there with. v

One object of my invention is the provision of a relay which is responsive to close its contacts when energized by alternating current of a predetermined frequency and which is also responsive by reversal of the position of its contacts, to the reversal of current in one of its energizing windings with relation to the current in another of such windings, but is immune to direct current or alternating current of a lower than the predetermined frequency. Other objects of my invention will appear in the following description.

I will describe one form ofrelay and one form of signaling system embodying my in vention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

grammatic, showing one form of relay embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the frame F and motor M shown in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the bearing rcceptacle 34:, shown in Figb'l. Fig. 4 is a dragrammatic view showing one form of rallway signaling system embodying my invention and including relays of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

With reference to Fig. '1. R designates a relay comprising a motor M whose vertical shaft, N is mounted to rotate in a bearing 2 in a stationary member 2 of the relay casing, :which oasing I have omitted from the drawing to avoid unnecessary complications. The shaft N is guided ad acent its upper end "in a bearing 3, located in a bracket 3 which is fixed to member 2*. The

I motor M comprises a rotor trigidly mo'unt-.

ed on shaft N, and a stator which is indicated diagrammatically by windings (t and b. The shaft N carries, at its upper-end, a

oke 6 in which a rectangular frame F is Ournaled by means of pivot pins 7. In this frame F 'is journaled another motor- M. As shown more clearly in'Fig. 2, the frame F comprises two U-shaped members 8 and 9, fixed together by screws 10. Member 8 is provided with a central tubular projection 11 which carries the laminated stator core 12 and the stator winding 13 of motor M. The rotor 14 of motor M surrounds the stator core and is carried by a cup-shaped member 15 which in turn is carried on a shaft 15 journaled in ball bearings 16 and 17 in frame F. This construction of the motor gives a maximum inertia of the rotor for a given weight of the motor. As shown in the drawing, the. aXis of motor M is at right angles to the pivotal. axis of frame F, and this frame is biased to the horizontal position wherein the axis of motor M is at right angles to the axis of motor M, as I shall describe hereinafter.

Motor M is supplied Withelectric current through wires 48 and 48 leading-"from slip;-

hearings in the casing. I have shown two contacts C and C controlled by the relay,

which contacts comprise a contact spring 21 mounted on bridge B by studs 22 of i sulating material. Contact fingers 23 and 23' are riveted on spring 21 adjacent its ends for enacting with fixed contact members24 and 24 attached to the relay casing. When bridge B is rocked clockwise, finger 23 swings into engagement with member 24 softhat contact C is closed, and when the bridge is rocked in the opposite direction finger 23' engages member 24, causing closure of contact C. Electric circuits lead through these contacts by wires (Z, c, f, and are controlled thereby, as is well known in the art.

The bridge B is biased to a middle position, wherein both contacts.C and C are open, by means of weights ,lV'and W screwed on threaded extensions of lever arms 26 and '26. Arm 26 is pivoted on a pin 27 in the vertical member of a bracket 28 riveted on bridge B. The under side of arm 26 bears on the horizontal member of the bracket 28, thustending to turn the bridge countcrcloclm'is', except when the bridge'is in the middle position or turned in the other direction,at which. times arm 26 rests on a fixed stop 29. In a similar manner weight lV tends to turn the bridge clockwise until arm 26 engages a stop 29'. It is apparent that the bridge is. thus normally held in the middle position, and to rock it in one direction or the other it is necessary to lift one of the weights \V or \Vflthe other weight resting on itsstop.

The bridge B is operatively connected to frame F by means of auniversal joint mechanism, which. in the present construction, comprises a bifurcated lever 30, which is mounted on bridge 13 by a lip 31, and has its forked ends pin-connected to arms 32 and 32 extending from a hollow receptacle 34 containing thrust ball bearings 35 as shown in'Fig. 3, The upper end of a shaft 36 is journaled in bearings 35, the lower end:

of this shaft being pi nconnected to links 37 and 37, which are pivotally attached to the frame F by pins 38. This connecting mechanism between bridge B and frame F is so proportioned that 'whenthe bridge is in the middle position, frame F is horizontal, as shown in the drawing. It is apparent that when the frame F is tilted in one direction or the other with sufficient force it raises or lowers shaft 36, causing bridge B to close contact C or C, respectively. To constrain shaft 36 to, move up or down in a substantially vertical line, I provide a link 40, one end of which is pin-connected to a bracket {11 on hearing receptacle 34, and the othere'nd of which-is pivotally connected to a stationary member 43 of the relay casing. Link 40is parallel to lever 30 and has its pivotal points in the same vertical planes with this lever, so'that bearing receptacle 34 is always held in a vertical position. Shaft 36 is constrained therefore to a vertical posi;

two other axes (shaft N and the axis of pivots"! of frame F) all perpendicular to each other in the positions shown on the draw ing. According to the laws of the gyroing 13 thereof through the brushes J.

description it is apparent J scope, such a spinning body will, when rotated about one of the axes erpendicular to the axis of spin, tend to ace the axis of spin in line with the axis about which it is rotated. In accordance with this law, the motor M, when turned by motor M about the axis of shaft N will tend to aline its spinning axis with the axis of shaft N, so that frame F is tilted in one direction or the other from the horizontal. This tilting mo tion is known in the art as gyroscopic precess on; it always occurs in such direction as will make the direction of spin the same as the direction of rotation about the other axis. For example, if motor M is spinning in the direction of arrow w, and motor M turns shaft N in the direction of arrow 3 frame F tends to tilt so that the rotor of motor M spins in the same direction as rotor 4. This means that the frame F tends to turn clockwise (as viewed in the drawing), pulling downwardly on shaft 36 so that contact C is-closedprovided always that this force is powerful enough to overcome weight \V'. On the other hand, if the di rection of rotation of motor M is reversed by reversing the current through one of the windings a or 7) of motor M. (the direction of spin of motor M remaining the same) frame F tends to turn in the opposite direction and close contact C.

For a given spinning speed of motor M, the force with which frame F is tilted in one direction or the other, depends upon the speed of rotation of motor M. Unless this speed is high enough, frame F is nottilted with sutlicient force to overcome weight I or \V'. Since the speed of motor M depends upon the frequency of current supplied to control of circuits through contacts C and C, I prefer tohave the'motor M rotating continuously in one direction by constantly supplying alternating current to the wind- 7 Also, I'prefer to connect one of the windings, as '5, of'the motor M to a constant source of current so that it. is always energized. With this arrangement'the relay is responsive to the absence and presence of current in Winding a, and the contact bridge B is reversed upon reversal of the phase of the .eurrent in winding a with respectto that of the current in winding b. However. this manner of energizing the relay is only illustrative', and I do not wish to be limited thereto. Furthermore, although I have shown the three axes about .wlrich motor II, In, W.

M is free I to turn at sulostantially right angles to each other and intersecting'at. a

common point, these conditions, although sections of which I have shown four in the drawing, designated by Roman numerals I, Adjacent. the entrance end of each section there is located a signal S, S S or S for governing traffic through the section. These signals, as here shown, are of thesemaphore type and each is adapted to indicate pi-occed," caution or stop, according as its semaphore arm is in the vertical, inclined. or horizontal position.

These signals operate pole changers P, P,

P and P respectively, "which comprise contact fingers 52 and 53 cooperating with fixed contact pointsfit, and 56. When a signal indicates either proceed or cantion the pole-changer operated thereby is in What I shall term its normal position, a position wherein fingers 52. and 53 engage. respectively, contact points 5t and and when a. signal indicates stop the polechangerwhich it operates is in its reverse position, wherein its; contact fingers ngage contacts 55 and 56 respectively.

Each track section is provided with a track circuit comprising a source of current, the track rails of the section, and a relay It, such as I have described liereinbeforc. The source of current for the track circuit tor "section I, for example, is a, transformer T energized from a transmission line Z supplied with current l'lOlll .a generator U.

When the pole-changer I is normal, the

changer P and wire til.

secondary of transformer T has one terminal connected to rail 50 of section. I by Wires 57 and 58, contact 53-55 of pole chang'er P and wire 59; the other terminal of this transformer is connected to the other rail. by Wire 60, contact. 5254l of pole lVhen on the other hand the pole-changer P is reversed, the terminals of thesecondary of trans former T are connected with the track rails in the reverse direction, The track circuit of each of the other sections has a similar source of current T, T, etcz, connected to the track rails in similar manner. The winding c of each relay R is'connected with {ghe rails of the corresponding track section y Wires 63 and 64:, andthc winding 5 of motor M and the motor M are constantly energized by direct connection to the adjacent transformer as shown in the drawing. Hence it will be seen that when a track section is unoccupied, the winding (1 of the relay for such section is energizedin one direction or the other depending on the po'- sition of the signal for the section next in advance.

Each relay controls the adjaeently located signal by closing or opening at contacts C or C the operating circuits for the signal. Each signal is provided with two operating circuits, which I shall term respectively the proceed and caution circuits to indicate that closure of the former circuit brings about movement of the semaphore to the vertical or proceed position and closure of the latter circuit causes the signal arm to travel only to the inclined or caution position. -As long as one or the other of these circuits is closed the signal remains in the corresponding position, but when both of these circuits are open the signal indicates stop. The proceed circuit for signal S, for example,.is as follows: From transformer T, through wires 60 and 66, contact C of relay R for section I, wire 67, signal S, and wire 57 to transformer T. The caution circuit for and cautionqcircuits for the other sighals are similar. 0 v

The operation of the system is as follows: In the drawing the section III is occupied hy.a vehicle V, hence the relay R for section III is deenergized so that its contacts C and G are open and signal S indicates stop. f

In this aspect of the signal, pole-changer P is reversed so that the section II next in the rear is furnished with signaling current reversed in direction. There being no car or train in section II,'this current energizes the relay R for section II reverscly, causing it to close at its contact C the caution cir} cuit for signal S. Accordingly this signal indicates caution to warn a car or train when entering section II that the section next in advance is occupied. iVith signal S in the inclined position, pole-changer P is normal, so that relay R of the track circuit of section I is energized normally, causing the signal S to indicate proceed, and convey to the engineer of a car or train entering section I the information that both sections I and II are unoccupied. 1

Signal. S is also in the proceed position- "Mil illtl tion. By this movement signal S reverses pole'changer P so that the current supplied to section ill is of reverse polarity and en ergizes the relay of this section in the reverse direction. This relay closes contact 05, causing signal S to move-to the cantion indication. Pole-changer P is thereby operated to its normal position so that the traclr circuit of section II is furnished with current of normal polarity. The relay R for this section, therefore, opens contacts G and iuunediately thereafter closes contact (l, causing signal S to move from the caution to the proceed position. The signal circuits for section I remain unaffected.

lie the vehicle V proceeds from section li y into the next section (not shown on the drawing) similar operation of the signals and circuits for the signaling system occurs.

lt ropulsion current for the operation of the cars or trains along the railway is furnished by a generator U one terminal of which is connected to a trolley wire or third rail-L, and the other terminal of which is groundedto the track rails. This propulsion current flows from one terminal of the generator through wire L, vehicle V, track rails and 50" in parallel to the other terminal oi the generator U. l

As noted hereinbefore the track rails are divided into sections by insulated joints 51. To pass the propulsion current around these joints, without interfering with the track circuits hcreinbelore described, I provide iu'ipedance bonds for these joints, each bond comprising iron core impedance coils SO-and till connected between the track rails, one on side of the joints. The middle points oi these coils are connected together by a bond wire 80. The signaling current which iilows from one railof a section to the other rail through coils 80 or 80 is negligggiblc in amount, because the coils present a 'gh impedance to such flow of current. Tlhe propulsion current, however, does not tend to flow from one rail to the other through these coils, but enters both ends of coils 80 simultaneously from track rails 50 one part of coil and fill respectively, thus flowing through the two halves of these coils in opposite directions to the middle'points of these coils. From there it flows through bond wire 80* to the middle point of coil 80 Here the current divides, one-halt flowing through 80 to the track rail tiOi of and the other flowing through the other part of coil 80 in the opposite direction to the track rail 50 of that section. The propulsion current therefore traverses the two halves of each of the coils 80 and 80 in opposite directions so that the resultant magnetic flux in the cores oit these coils is practically aero. Consequently, the impedance oi? these coils to the propulsron current is reduced practically to the neat section,

the ohmic resistance of the coil windings, which can be made very low. Tn consequence, these impedance bonds ofler but a- .very small resistance to the proper flow of the propulsion current while at the time they prevent an improper flow oi the l signaling current. 7

In present-day practice theusignaling current supplied to the transmission line Z diflers in frequency from"the' propulsion current supplied by generator U, the frequencies of these two c'urrents usually being. 60 and 25 cycles respectively.

It sometimes happens that the, propulsion current potential of the two track rails differs sothat this current enters the signaling systemth'rough the track connections of the relays and transformers thus causing the motor M of the relays to rotate. However, due to the frequency selective feature of my relays the low frequency propulsion current is unable to close the relay contacts, as I have explained hereinbefore, hence spch a difference of potential cannot cause a signal to indicate caution or p -ceed.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of relay and one form of signaling system embodyin my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A relay comprising a member adapted to be rotated simultaneously about two axes, and a contact governed by the gyroscopic precession of said member about a third ax1s.-

2. A relay comprising a member adapterto be rotated simultaneously about two axes, a contact operated by the gyroscopic precession ofsaid member about a third axis, and means for preventing operation of said contact when the speed of rotation of said member about one or both of said axes is belowa predetermined value.

3. A relay comprising a spinning member, means for rotating said member about a sec-- ond axis, and a contact controlled by movement of said spinning member about a third ax1s. A

4-. A relay comprising a spinning member, means for rotating said member about a second axis, a contact governed by the movement of said spinning member about a third axis, and means for preventing operation of said contact when the speed of rotation of said member is below a predetermined 125 value. f

5. A. relay comprising a member adapted to be rotated about two intersecting axes and free to turn about a third axis substantially normal to the first-mentioued axes 130 ame 70- r the gyroscope is I the other,

Lorenzo and passing through their point of intersection, and a contact controlled by the more I ment of said member about said third axis.

6. A relay comprising or member capable of turning about three intersecting axes, means for rotating said member about two of said axes, a contact, and means for con trolling said contact by movement of the member about the third axis.

7, A relay comprising of turning; about three intersecting axes nor mally substantially at right angles to each other, means for continuously rotating said member about one of said axes, means for turning said member at times about another axis in one direction or the other and a con tact controlled by movement of the member, I j about the third axis.

8. An alternating current, three-position relay comprising in combination, a gyroscope, means for turning the gyroscope in one direction or the other about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotating member oi the gyroscope, so that tilted in one direction or and contacts governed by the tilting movements of the gyroscope.

90 In combination, a frame, a rotating member mounted therein, means for mount- 111g said frame to turn on an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotatmg member, a motor for rotating the lastmentioned means about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the frame and the rotating member, and contacts controlled by said frame 1dr An alternating current, three-position frequency relay comprising a rapidly rotat ,ing member, a shaft. substantially at right angles to the axis of the said rotating mem her, a motor for driving said shaft in one direction or the other, means for mountin said rotating member on said shaft to penmit it to turn into alinement therewitlnacd a contact controlled by the rotating member.

, for rotating the fork a member capable i said "frame to Jim".

nmunted therein to rotate, a fork for pivoting the frame substantially normal to the shaft of diameter, another motor, means about an axis substan- 5o tlally normal to the shaft of the first-men tioned motor and the pivotal axis of the frame, and contacts controlled by the movements of the frame about its pivotal axis.

12. An alternating current, threaposition tit relay comprising a motor, a frame in which said motor is mounted, means for pirotally mounting said frame, means for biasing a. middle position, contacts, means for controlling said contacts by to movements of said frame away from the middle position, a shaft substantially atii right angles to the pivotal axis of the said frame and said motor, and means for rotating said shaft in one direction or the other, for causing movement of the frame in one direction or the other from the middle posi, tion.

18. An alternating current, three position frequency relay comprising a spinning to member biased to a middle position and adapted to tilt in one direction or the other about an axis substantially normal tofthe axis ofspin, a motor responsivein speed to the frequency of its energizing current, 7.5 means for rotating said member by said motor in one direction or the other about an axis substantially normal to the first men tioned axcsso that when said motor speed is at or above a predetermined value said .80 spinning member is caused to tilt in one direction or the other and contacts operated in one direction or the other by the tilting movements of said spinning member.

In testimony whereof .I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. V JOHN S HOLLIDAY. l Witnesses:

A. L. Venom, A. G. Noam. 

